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Traffic Engineering, 4th Edition

Roess, R.P., Prassas, E.S., and McShane, W.R.
Solutions to Chapter 7

Problem 7-1
Given that the speed data follows the normal distribution N[57,7.62]. Using
Interpolation to find the z on the standard normal distribution that has 85% of the
area less than it, you find z = 1.036522.

Now we find the equivalent value on our normal distribution, using:

x = 64.88 mi/h

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Problem 7-2
Making the assumption that travel time is normally distributed, then the distribution
for this data is N[152,17.32]. The 95% confidence bounds, based on 30 runs, then are:

152 ± 1.96 * (17.3 / √30)

= 152 ± 6.2, thus
= P(145.8 ≤ µ ≤ 158.2) = 0.95
Problem 7-3
(a)
Veh Occ (1) Observed (2) (1)*(2) (1)2*(2)
2 120 240 480
3 40 120 360
4 30 120 480
5 10 50 250
SUMs 200 530 1570

The estimated mean is:

The estimated standard deviation is:

The 95% confidence bounds on the are:

(b) If the HOV lanes carries 900 vph, it will carry an average of 900 * 2.65 = 2,385
people per hour based upon the average occupancy observed. The 95th
percentile confidence interval would be between 900 * 2.52 = 2,268 persons and
900 * 2.78 = 2,502 persons.

c. The answer to part (b) focused on an HOV lane with an average volume of 900
vehicles. The 95th percentile confidence bounds on a single lane observation
of 900 vehicles are not related to the standard error, E, but to the standard
deviation, s. Thus the 95th percentile range for average occupancy is:

µ = 2.65 ± 1.96(0.91) = 2.65 ± 1.78

0.87 ≤ µ ≤ 4.43

Thus for a single observation of 900 vehicles, the total number of people
expected is between 900(0.87) = 783 and 900(4.43) = 3,978 with 95% confidence.
Of course, the lower limit is not feasible, there must be at least one person per
car. This arises because the distribution is not really normal.

Problem 7-4

© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This publication is protected by Copyright and written permission should be obtained
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Note: Problem 7-4 has an error since no standard deviation was given. The standard
deviation is needed. The standard deviation should have been given as 3 mi/gal.
Thus the distribution is N[18,9].

From the standard normal distribution, find the z that has 90% of the area below it.
Thus by interpolation z = 1.282

Now we find the equivalent value on our normal distribution, using:

x = 21.85 mi/g

Problem 7-5
On the distribution N[42,16], the probability of an x being between 45 and 55, is the
same as a z on the standard normal being between:

and 3.25

P(z and P(z ≤ 3.25) = 0.9994.

Thus P(0.75 ≤ z ≤ 3.25) = 0.9994 – 0.7734 = 0.226

For the 88% confidence bounds around the mean, there would be 6% of the area in
each end. Thus we need to find the z that is greater than 94% of the area. From the
standard normal table, z = 1.555
The confidence bounds are then 42 1.555* (4/√55) = 42 ± 0.84

© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This publication is protected by Copyright and written permission should be obtained
from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
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Problem 7-6
Difference
Procedure 1 Procedure 2 (x1 - mean)^2 (x2 - mean)^2 (D) D^2
8.40 7.20 34.05 17.51 1.20 1.44
9.20 8.10 25.35 10.79 1.10 1.21
10.90 10.30 11.12 1.18 0.60 0.36
13.20 10.30 1.07 1.18 2.90 8.41
12.70 11.20 2.36 0.03 1.50 2.25
10.80 7.50 11.80 15.09 3.30 10.89
15.30 10.70 1.13 0.47 4.60 21.16
12.30 10.50 3.74 0.78 1.80 3.24
19.70 11.90 29.87 0.27 7.80 60.84
8.00 8.70 38.88 7.21 -0.70 0.49
7.40 5.90 46.72 30.09 1.50 2.25
26.70 18.60 155.38 52.06 8.10 65.61
12.10 8.20 4.56 10.14 3.90 15.21
10.70 8.50 12.50 8.32 2.20 4.84
10.10 7.50 17.10 15.09 2.60 6.76
12.00 9.50 5.00 3.55 2.50 6.25
11.90 8.10 5.45 10.79 3.80 14.44
10.00 8.80 17.94 6.68 1.20 1.44
22.00 19.80 60.30 70.81 2.20 4.84
41.30 36.40 732.51 625.75 4.90 24.01

SUMS
= 284.70 227.70 1216.81 887.81 57.00 255.94
mean = 14.24 11.39 64.04 46.73 2.85
std = 8.00 6.84
STANDARD T TEST RESULTS: PAIRED T TEST RESULTS:
sp = 10.81308621 Sd = 2.21823
t= 5.74585
t= 0.833480022 f= 19
f= 38 p(t<=6.04) <.0003
p(t<=.8) >.2 thus difference not significant thus difference significant

A paired t-test should be used since the data is obviously not independent.

© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This publication is protected by Copyright and written permission should be obtained
from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write to: Rights and Permissions Department, Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.